China escutcheon



May 7 4 1926.

' B. O. TILDEN CHINA ESCUTCHEON Filed March 1925 patented May 4, 1926.

BERT 0. 'TILDEN, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, LASSIGNOR TO B. O. 'I'

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, A CDREORATION-OF NEW JERSEY.

eaten ore-1e13,

. MFG. 00., or

- CHINA nsoorcz-inon.

Application filedMarch so, 1925. Serial 11o. 19,486.

Y '0 all whom 2'5 may concern:

'Be it known that I, .Bnn'r O.- TILDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in China Escutcheons, of which the following is a specification.

Thisin'vention relates to improvements in fiushvalve operating mechanisms, and has especial reference to vitrified flush tanks and the exposed operatingparts of the mechanism.

"The object of the invention is to provide a fitting of the class, wherein all of the exposed parts are made of durable and ornamental vitrified material, which 'eifectually conceal all ofthemetal connections, and supporting parts, that usually extend beyond the tank. A particular object of the present invention is to provide a novel and simple china escutcheon, which is disposed concentric to the valve operating stem and spaces the head-piece and handle from the tank. The said ,escutcheonis arrangedto conform to plane or convert walls of a tank, and is also formed during the molding stages, with sockets adapted to receive and conceal certain of the metal, as well as the adjacent china parts, the said escutcheon also being so constructed andapplied, that its destruction or breakage, will not interfere with the operation of the flushing mechanism, by the train of metal connections, whichare normally concealed by the china parts. I I

The various features and parts of the in vention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which ,'Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of a flush tank, to which my improvement is applied. Fig. 2 is a broken end elevation of the tank. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section,

taken centrally through the operating parts,

shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 is an 'enlarged front face view of the china escutcheon. Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear face View of the same. Fig. 6 is an elevational view, showing theescutcheon applied to a curved surface. And Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section, showing the several sockets, and the central bore of the escutcheon that receives the operating stem.

In the drawing 2, represents a china flush tank that may foll'owany of the usual constructions, but preferably has its front face curved, as at 2, for strengthening and ornamenting the tank. The flushing water may be supplied to tl'ietank by any of the usual means (not shown). The filling of the tank may be controlled by the usual float, as 3, shown conventionally in Fig. 2. The emptyingof the tank maybe effected by any of the well-known flush valve mechanisms, which it is not deemed necessary .to show in the present case. The flush valve however, may be operated'by means of a lift rod 4, which may be moved vertically by means of a rock erably formed U-shaped, as at 4c, for facilitating mounting the lever' between perforated arms 5 of a bracket 5, which. is jmounted on the inner wall 2 of the tank, as-shown in Figs. 2 and3. The brac'ketb is formed medially with a hollow hub 5, which is shown inserted part-way into a molded opening 2 of the front wall of the tank, the said hub, together with a flange bushing 6, being arranged to form a'common support, for a relatively long externally threaded sleeve"(', to which the bushing 6 is threaded. The bushing '6 is preferably inserted from the outer side of the ta'nk, and the said bushing and the I bracket 5 are clamped tightly'to the wall of the tank, by means of a nut 8, which is shown.applied to the inner projecting end of the sleeve 7, beyondthe passing through and being freely rotatable in the sleeve .7.

Out-side of the tank and beyond and overlying the flange of the bushing 6, is mounted a china escutcheon 10, the latter having a central opening 10 to receive the sleeve 7. The bottom face of the escutcheon is formed with a relatively broad cavity as at 10, to receive and afford clearance for the flange of the bushing 6. This leaves a relatively narrow annular face 10, which bears directly against the outer wall of the tank 2. The reduced end of the escutcheon, is formed with a relatively deep concentric socket 10, into which the inner end of the sleeve 7 projects, and to this end of the sleeve is threaded a spanner-nut 12, employed for adjustably clamping the escutcheon against the outer face of the tank. The nut 12 only partially fills the socket 10, and is preferably formed with a round face that fits ball-like into the socket 10. The stem 9 projects a considerable distance beyond the escutcheon 10, and its outer end is inserted axially into a globular he ad piece 13, which is formed with a relatively deep socket 13, to receive the stem. At one side, the head piece is formed with a reduced cylindrical portion, as 13, and this portion is inserted loosely and axially in the socket 10 and preferably lightly contacts with the outer face of the spanner-nut 12, so as to avoid frictional wear and abrasion of the parts. The head-piece is formed with a circular socket, as 13*, and with a concentric ope-ning 13, which connects the two sockets of the head. 14 represents a vitrified handle, by Which the flush valve mechanism is manipulated. One end of the handle is formed with a molded aXial socket 14, in which is permanently embedded a metal connecting rod 15, in such manner that the free end of the rod, which'is preferably threaded, may be inserted through the socket 123" and the opening 13 and thence into a transverse threaded hole of the stem, as best seen in Fig. 3. When assembling the handle and head-piece a washer 16, preferably rubber or other compressible and non-metallic substance, is usually first inserted in the socket 18", so that when the handle is screwed up tight, the china of the handle is insulated from the china headpiece, for preventing abrasion when the parts are tightened.

It is a well-known fact that the walls of all china flush tanks vary in thickness and that the planes of the inner and outer surfaces of said walls are seldom parallel to each otherr It is also well-known that the suriaces of said walls frequently become undulated due to uneven shrinkage of the material during the baking of the tanks, and that many of the china tanks are formed with substantially flat surfaces, while others are molded with curved faces, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawing. In view of the prevalence of these variations, I find it necessary to provide all fittings, including the china escutcheons, as 10, with means'for' overcoming said variations. To this end, the escutcheon 10 is preferably loosely mounted on the sleeve 7, and may therefore be tilted at different angles relatively to the axis of the sleeve, for effecting a firm bearing of the annular face 10 against the outer surface of the tank, and in order to properly adjust the escutch eon to curved and other uneven surface, the bottom of the socket l0 is formed concave as shown in Figs. 3 and 7 to conform to the round face of the spanner-nut 12, for pro ducing a ball-joint, which allows the escutcheon to become self-seating, and to conform to any unevenness of the surface of the tank, as explained. In order to facilitate the firm seating of the escutcheon against the tank when the wall, as 2, is curved as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the bottom edge or face 10 of the escutcheon is formed concave, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In view of these peculiarities of construction and arrangement, the escutcheon 10 may be readily adjusted to firmly and neatly engage almost any tank wall, without efiecting any binding or cramping of the other parts of the operating mechanism, and in a manner to preserve the ornamental appearance of the fitting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is

As a new article of manufacture a china escutcheon for flush tanks, having convex outer faces, composed of a circular body having a central axial opening and having a concentric socket at one end, the bottom wall of the socket being concave, the opposite end of the body being formed with a circular cavity surrounded by an annular face, the annular face being concaved to conformably seat against the convex outer face of the tank.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

, BERT O. 'IILDENv 

